State Department of Education requests staff, assessment and program funding as committee reviews budget

Jared Tetroult, deputy division manager with the Legislative Services Office Budget and Policy Analysis Division, told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee that the State Department of Education’s budget covers personnel for programs including assessments, accountability, nutrition, federal programs, school choice, special education and student transportation.

The department’s 126.5 authorized full‑time equivalent positions include 9.5 vacancies at the time of the submission, Tetroult said. He described multiple dedicated funds the department manages and highlighted the driver’s training fund and the career ready student program as examples of large, partially‑obligated balances. “In 2022 this was $3,800,000 as a free fund balance and in 2026 it's currently estimated to be 7,400,000,” Tetroult said of the driver’s training fund.

Why it matters: Lawmakers pressed the department on the mix of one‑time and ongoing funding, how federal COVID/ARPA dollars changed year‑to‑year spending patterns, and on programs that shift cash from appropriation to obligation (contracts and reappropriations) before districts draw the money down.

Superintendent Debbie Critchfield described specific enhancement requests in the department’s 2026 budget submission and answered committee questions about special education demand and several programmatic proposals. On special education workload, Critchfield said the department…